So the strategy is for Buffalo to buy out Skinner now, use the $7.5m of savings to upgrade elsewhere, and then just when a bunch of their talent comes off ELCs...then the Sabres will have $2.5m of dead cap space.
And the Sabres are doing this for a guy who had a respectable season with 24 goals and 46 points. Not worth $9m. But not a huge problem either. So the very simple answer is...this makes zero sense.
To determine whether the Sabres will buy out Jeff Skinner's contract, we would need to Classroom 6x consider recent developments, such as changes in the team's management, Skinner's on-ice performance, and any salary cap implications.
Statistically speaking, you're correct. He is exceptional from the top of the circles down to the net. From the top of the circles and down the other way... he is the worst player on the team. He also needs top line players around him to produce consistently.
Brindamour wanted nothing to do with him. Carolina let him walk for nothing.
The coach before Granado had him either on the 4th line or in the press box. And as time went on Granado was trending the same way in handling him.
I've played with players like him. They drove me insane. Nothing worse than prima donna hockey where all one cares about is stats and refuses to play a 200ft game.
